One of the biggest reactions I've received from others is the one I get when I tell people that I'm from Thailand. Also when I tell them that I don't have a favorite color - but let's get back to the Thailand thing. Immediately, their eyes will widen in shock as they look at me with a heightened sense of curiosity. Not really looking at me - mind you - but rather observing, as if trying to fit me into the schema they have for Thailand. I then administer a double shock when I reveal that I'm actually Indian, but was born and raised in Thailand. At this point, they are utterly bewildered and just don't know what to make of me.
I may have exaggerated this reaction just a bit. But this is essentially the response everyone has when I talk about my background. Someone at Tufts once told me that I should to learn how to condense my background into a sentence when introducing myself during the initial weeks of university. At first, I felt mildly offended at the prospect of compressing my life into a convenient short pitch for people in order to hold their attention. But then when I arrived at Tufts and experienced the whole craziness of Orientation week, I realized that this convenience wasn't intended for the other person - it was actually benefitting me. Relaying my entire history time and time again was almost dull for me. My go-to explanation for my ethnicity quickly became, "Indian-born and raised in Thailand, so Thai-Indian." Short and sweet.
This all changed when I went on a Model U.N. trip to Philadelphia this past weekend. I met college kids from all over the country and even some from the University of Tokyo. It was a frenzied environment, packed with people who were teeming with excitement at the chance to enter a debate and show off while they had the chance. However, here we didn't immediately exchange names. Instead, we introduced ourselves according to the countries we were representing for the conference. I was no longer the girl who was Thai-Indian, but part of a dual delegation from Australia. It was strange being thrust into a setting where no one wanted to know your name just yet. Being Thai-Indian wasn't so fascinating anymore in comparison to a delegate who was representing Somalia or Belgium.
For the rest of the conference, each person's identity developed according to the nation he or she was representing, especially since we had to hold a placard with our country name the entire time we were there. Acquaintances were formed based on national alliances - our country had friends and we made ours accordingly. It was only during the penultimate committee session when actual names started flying around and we were finally able to learn something about the real people behind the placards.
Imagine holding a board with the name of where you're from at all times. If I had a sign saying Thai-Indian when I first came to Tufts, who would approach or talk to me? That guy from Vietnam? That girl from Myanmar? Or maybe that guy from Connecticut? Instead, we internally carry these identifiers. I still get a kick every time I see someone who is surprised that I am from Thailand. But that effect eventually wears off because just like in Model U.N., we realize that there are actual people behind the placards.
Nimarta Narang is a freshman who has not yet declared a major. She can be reached at Nimarta.Narang@tufts.edu.
